A multi-mode, multi-radio user equipment is capable of obtaining services through multiple radio networks, for example, via a wireless wide area network (WWAN) such as GSM/UMTS and via a wireless local area network (WLAN) such as 802.11a/b/g. Such a user equipment must decide on which network it should attach, begin active services, and to which network it must handover its active services.
One of the main attributes of a multi-mode, multi-radio user equipment is its capability to offer a rich set of applications. Instead of simply offering a voice call application, a modern multi-mode, multi-radio user equipment may offer both basic applications and more advanced ones such as web browsing, video sharing, location-based services, peer-to-peer file sharing, etc. A modern multi-mode multi-radio user equipment may be looked at less like a phone but more like a sophisticated multimedia computer and communicator.
Disadvantageously, some applications may be better suited for a particular network environment relative to other network environments on which the user equipment may attach. Thus, a user equipment may be attach to a particular network and may remain attached thereto regardless of the applications run on the user equipment.